Amplification of femtosecond lasers: from yesterday to tomorrow

In 2018, half of the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland for their groundbreaking technology involving intense ultrafast lasers. The chirped pulse amplification (CPA) scheme they invented has enabled ultrafast femtosecond lasers to reach ultrahigh peak-powers, which has not only given birth to new technology but also benefited mankind. This paper will interpret the CPA scheme from a fresh perspective, and review the current status as well as the future development of ultrafast intense lasers. We will analyze in depth how to pioneer and push the field of CPA to even further frontiers.